Aerostat.



R. C. SAYER.

AEROSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLYl1. 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. C. SAYER.

AEROSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l. 1912.

/fff'a fried/o2 R. C. SAYER.

AERQSTAT. APPLICATION FILED IULY I, I9I2.

Patented Feb I A?? orney:

R. e. SAYER.

AERosTAT. APPLICATION FIIED JULY 1, |912.

1 1 2 O 5 e Patented Feb.15,191v6. 3 7 5 F 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.g

ROBERT COOKE sarna, OF REDLAN'D, BRISTOL, ENGLAND AEROSTAT.

i .i r72,055. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Feb.15, 1916.

Aplication filed July 1, 1912. Serial No. 707.059.

i .Toall whom 'z't may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, ROBERT v:Cooks SAYER,

i :i subject of the King of Great Britain and ireland, residing-at 11 Clyde road, Redland,

- Bristol, England', have inventedlcertain new andV useful Improvements in Aerostats, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to vvimprovements in aerostats. i

The Object of the inventionis to construct a. vehicle of any suitable shape, size or material which is light 'andadapted to'run on theground, tov traverse Water, either submerged or not,l or to fly in the air.

Another object is to .provide a vehicle with wings and which is telescopioto reduce its size when subject to storms," and is provided with a central atmospheric passage either concentric or eccentric andy adapted to carry a maximum load, and be driven byl a minimum power with a low centerof gravity. This passage 1s pr ovided at its end or ends with adjustable doorsv adapted to be partially closed so that currents of the mediuin traversed acting on the inclined surface of one or more doors shall steer the ve-` hicle in either direction, horizontally lor. vertically.. f f v iVith theseand other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novellfeatures of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more vfully described and claimed.

` the accompanying` drawings: Figure 1 isa plan View of the vehicle; F ig.2 is a longitudinal section taken on lineA-A'of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa frontendv elevationiof the vehicle; F igfl represents half sections at B-B and C-C Fig"l 2; Fig. 5 'is a section of a wing atD-D; and `by dots at E--E Figgl; Fig. 6 is partly a longitudinal sectional elevation of the boom of a1 wing; Figs. 7 andS are transverse sections at F-F and G-G F ig., 6 respectively; Fig. 9 is a transverse .section of the vacuum chamber of a feather of a wing taken atH-H- of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is asectionalplan of Fig. 9k; Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation in "fourparts -taken at I-I of F ig.`1;"Fig. 12mis a section of the telescoping glandsof the vehicle; Fig. 13 is a sectional plan at J-J of Fig. 12; Fig. 14

is partlyn a plan of an intersection of the" pressure cell struts at K-L, andatM looktaken at N--N,Fig. 14.

ing upward, Fig. 2,; Fig. 15 Ais,"v a "section,

In the embodiment illustrated in the formed of an outerv skin Zr which vmay begauze or net but 'is preferably like the inner skin o composed of air-tight-material radapted. to formA between them -a vacuum.` The two casings b and o form a bag which may or may1 not have similar concentricor eccentric bags having skins like o. A conntric or eccentricA passage d may Ormay not be provided with similar skins Z), c.

' The body ais shown constructed of a single pair of telescopic parts, (see Figs. 1Vto 4.), but vany number of parts may be `em ployed by which its size is graduated from a maximum at the head 'O to a minimum at the tail and in each case it carries av plurality of wings s.;

f The skins band c of the body a are connected by diaphragms e Which'formseparate tightchambersf of any. desired shape and size, 'Withor without the light gas pressure or vacuum, or they may be formedas separate pressure tight cells Or'bags fwhich may, ormay not contain -smaller separate cells g, some or all of which, as well as the bags f maycontain the lightest gas pressed into themthrough the". usual valves that. retain it, and when preferred inayfbe proyvided with separate buttress parts 7 as shown in Figs. 14: and 15, to aid in holding them in position. Some or all of thebags' lskins Z) and o to take the external crushing `etectsofvr atmospheric air, or other medium traversed. ABetween theintersticesl of the v'bags f and the several yskins oand o vacuy"um isv alsorcieatedto bind all together and the` spa'c'ewhen there isy any between the Aduplicating skins b andl c forming the heart yof the body` a has vacuum of less in- "tensity or rarefaction to further lighten body a but not to draw away the containing skin from its position. The diaphragms e `buttress for the ee whether, in part, formin the V,bags f or not, are when. Jre aired, sti. cned by pairs of semi-Spherion cells g l(see 12), fixed to diaphragm-s by vacuum `r cedas above, threagrh. val-ve onen them. redraw its air from theother cells g through hanaperture g gin the diallira'gwl e to'lix both as a.

s g and bags f.

The telescopic parte' of the body a lare rendered pressure and vacuum tight as they traverse the spaces y" and-- by annular or other shaped glands h on the p'e'phery and secured to the smaller part and avi'ng slid.- ing contact with the skin e; Similar glands a' are secured to the larger part of the body a and have' sliding `contact with the skin b of the smaller part. Anemptay chamber Z (see Figs. 12 and 13) is formed between the glands h and z' to which is supplied light gas pressure from any source, through the pipe m to Z and from Z through valves n to the glands if; and a' to thrustI suitable flexible packing o against the skins b and c. The chambers n at the back of the glands la, and e" are formed to admit the chamber Z, being of sufficient size fer this purpose and are filled up `with the pressure cells g and vacuum between to draw the side skins up tofthem.

l 'The body a is shortened by sending the light gas pressure through the pipe m to the chamber Z to thrust the glands h and .i apart with their attached partsv of the body4 a, and .it is 'lengthened by exhausting the pressure in Z,

while that actinglpn the packing o is .retained by the valves n, and a vacuum is created in the kchamber Z to draw the glands It andk c' with their parts of the body a closerl together. The glands It and z' of the passage d are-operated similarly and simultaneously with the former. The wingsr Figs. 1 and 3, are `formed of a .hollow boom or' cutting edge fu; ontaining ressure or vacuum havin uppe -sind lower indents e to make it ilexib e vertically, when not so otherwise, but it is able to be drawn horizontally so as to be opened with its feathers, or closed. 'lhis is accomplished by strain put upon the ties w or a: when 4the other is slack, or alternately to more or less rise and fall when strain is alternately given the ties fw' and 12, for which the feathers are made exible by cuts 24 in the curved parts` 25, or otherwise. The boom u carries a feather y on which is fixed a bolt e, and said boom hinges on the body a at 1, where there 1 is fixed a'standard 14 to carry the end of the fixedtie 13 secured to the body a at 15. Any number of other feathers say-'6, 7, 8, 9 are 1 also hinged on the body a at the points 2, 3,

stop 16. As each feather reaches stop 16 its `'zo v actuating `bolt e of the next reaches its exit 11 and leaves the slot 10 passing `on and.. allowing succeeding feathers to take up simik lar.v positions. When the tie 'w is strained and :n slackened the feathers are successively'` `75 drawn out from the stop 16by the` boltszz 1 ofthe adjacent onesrenteringat 11 the 1 slots 10. All of the feathers are more or less i curved down (see Fig.` 3), and held by the 1 tie w, and when desired tie w is slackened and t1e 12 strained to give a reciprocatory vertical motion to the boom u and feathers, like the iap of the wings of a bird.

Toaid in retaining the feathers 6, 7, 8 I.,

and 9airtight'relat1vely .to each other and s5 to the body a, a plate 17 .formed with steps 18 is xed on the body alto provide a level\y area for each to turnon as shown by dotted.` circles (Fig. 1). Each feather has a vacuum i chamberI 20 provided with suitable packing; 96, 19' and having non-collapsible passages 21,11- a valve 221 leading thereto and an entrance f provided -with a screw fitting 26,-thr`oughr which the vacuum is created and the feather and packing drawn tight to the plate 17 andy 495 body a to produce a tight sliding contact..

i The body a, has a `concentric or eccentric passage` d through it from en d to end` formed as above and is beveled atv the ends for doors y', or. oneonly... Each of these 100 together, by centering at t or more or ess l105 opened for the medium transversed to pinge, in the direction-of the arrows j Fig.A 1, on one or more i'eaves h', and raise, or w lower, or laterally direct the body a, at yone z. y or both ends according to which are open. .11o Alternately thepassage'` k/orfits doors gy or all of them may be omitted.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A vehicle 'constructed-to traverse any 1 media and to carry a maximum load driven :115 with a minimum power, the periphery of said vehicle body being formed of outer and inner continuous skins to 'form `a bag, dia-` phragms arranged to subdivide the bu into -1 a plurality of separate chambers, sai diay f phragms being secured to the skins, eachf chamber or bagbeing filled with detachedg separate cells containing; lthe lightest gas un der pressure, special pressure cells arranged as diagonal struts in onlof the peripheries,

fthe interstic'esA between the skins and .bags

forming a vacuum, and avacuum of less in` tensit in the heart of the body.

2. ,vehicle lconstructed.-to traverse any@` media and to carry a maximum :load driven :130

with 1a minimum power, the periphery of said yehicle body being formed of outer andr inner continuous skinsl to form a bag, da phragms arranged to subdividetthe bag into a plurality of separate chambers, said. diaphragme being secured to the'slrins, each chamber or bag being illed with detached separate cells containing'the lightest gas under pressure, special pressure cells arranged as diagonal struts in one of the periphe Iies, the interstices'between the skins and bags forming a vacuum, a vacuum of less in tensity in the heart of the body, anatinospheric passage extending through the body of the vehicle with its periphery similar and continuous With that of the body, and adi justable doors for partially closing one or both ends of the passage, to present inclined surfaces to the medium traversed, to steer the Vehicle, providing the body with Wings, said body being telescopically constructed.

3. A Vehicle constructed `to traverse media and to carry a maximum load driven with a minimum power, the periphery of said vehicle body being formed of outer and inner continuous skins 'to form a bag, diaphragms arranged to subdivide the bag into a plurality of separate chambers, said diaphragme being secured to the skins, each chamber or bag being lled Withdetached separate cells containing the lightest gas under pressure, special pressure cells arranged as diagonal struts vin one of the peripheries, the interstices between the skins' and bags forming a Vacuum, a vacuum of less inltensity in the heart of the body, an atmospheric p'assage'extending through the body of the vehicle with its periphery similar and continuous with that of the body, adjustable doors for partially closing one or both ends of the passage, to present inclined surfaces to the medium traversed, to steer .the vehicle, providixng; the body with Wings, said body being telescopically constructed, each Wing being formed of a boom and a plurality of feathers, each'eather hinging on the body at adierent place and having' slotv with an enit, a'ybolt secured to its ad gacent'feather in the stat, and a vacuum chamber, a lianged stop on the body, and i,

to actuate the Wings.

e. A vehicle constructed to traverse mediaY and to carry amaximu'rn load driven with a minimum power, the periphery of said Vehicle body being formed et outer and inner continuous skins to torni a bag, diaf phragms arranged to' subdivide the bag into forming a vacuum, a vacuum. of less intensity in the heart of the body, an atmospheric pas sage extending through the body of yelncle with 'its periphery similar eenv tinuous with that et. the body, adjustable doors for partially closing one er both ends et the passage, to present inclined surfaces ,to tite medium traversed, to steer the vehicle,

providing the body with Wings, said body being telescopically constructed, each Wing being termed o a boom and a plurality Jheathers, each feather hinging on the body y at a di'erent place and having a slot with.

an exit, bolt secured to .its adjacent feather in the slot, Vacuum chamber, a, flanged stop on the body, ties actuate the wings orming the body telescopicaily with glands flexibly packed with iight gas pressure be hind, chambers between and adiacent to the glands for the parts to traverse and receive the light gas pressure cr vacuum to attuatev the parte.

In testimony WhereoiE have afixed my.7

signature, in presence of two witnessesn RBERT GKE SYE'Q Witnesses; l

"343. J. iussnrri,

E. TYLER,

Effi 

